“Northwest Mosaic Today”, an invitational exhibition of artwork by fifteen artists from Washington and Oregon will be on view at Tacoma Public Library’s Handforth Gallery from March 15 to April 26, 2013. A reception for the artists will take place on Saturday, March 16th from 2 until 5 PM. The Tacoma Public Library is located at 1102 Tacoma Avenue S., Tacoma, WA. The library’s hours are: Tuesday and Wednesday 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Thursday, Friday and Saturday 9 a.m.-6 p.m. The library is closed on Sunday and Monday. The art exhibition will feature more than 50 artworks in a variety of styles from wall hanging realistic portraiture and abstracts to mosaic-covered sculpture. Kelley Knickerbocker of Seattle, WA and Richard S. Davis of Whidbey Island, WA, who are co-chairs of the 2013 Society of American Mosaic Artists (SAMA) conference in Tacoma April 10-13, selected the artists in the show. The artists featured in the exhibition have used a variety of materials to create their mosaics, including but not limited to smalti (enameled glass tile), stained glass, slag glass, seashells, minerals, beads, pottery shards, ceramic tile, wood, pebbles, porcelain, marble, glass marbles, beach stones, and found objects. “There’s no limit to what mosaic artists can include in their artwork,” said Kelley Knickerbocker. “We’re always on the lookout for an interesting piece of glass or found object to add to our stash.” Richard S. Davis added, “Finding materials is half the fun for me. I love sleuthing in antique shops and recycled building material stores. My wife calls the piles of stuff I collect junk, I call it inventory. I guess it’s a matter of perspective.” Participating artists: Lynn Adamo, Mark Brody, Carl and Sandra Bryant, Todd Campbell, Richard S. Davis, Gretchen Fuller, Angie Heinrich, Kathleen Jones, Joe Kaftan, Kelley Knickerbocker, Jennifer Kuhns, Deb McLaughlin, Sarah Rehfeldt, John Sollinger, and Crystal Thomas. The exhibit is being mounted in conjunction with the 2013 American Mosaic Summit (annual conference of the Society of American Mosaic Artists (SAMA)) to be held at the Tacoma Convention Center and Murano Hotel April 10-13. More than 500 artists from around the world are expected to attend the conference.